Explanation
Background: Ordinance 2845-2024, as amended by Ordinance 3393-2024, authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to execute a Subrecipient Agreement - Not-For-Profit Service Contract with the Human Service Chamber Foundation. This contract authorized the Foundation to implement an energy audit and technical assistance program funded by the City’s US Department of Energy (US DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG grant) award.
As the Human Service Chamber is no longer able to execute the program or enter into the Subrecipient Agreement - Not-For-Profit Service Contract, the City seeks approval to subaward the grant to the Columbus Region Green Fund.
Emergency Justification:
Emergency action of this ordinance is requested because the program needs to be completed within the performance period of the US DOE Assistance Agreement, which ends in July of 2026. An extension may be requested but progress must be demonstrated.
Fiscal Impact
This ordinance will approve a new subrecipient for a US DOE EECBG grant currently appropriated to the Public Utilities Electricity Grant Fund 6316 in the amount of $778,900. No fiscal impact.
Title
To amend Section 2 of Ordinance 2845-2024 to authorize a Sub-recipient Agreement - Not-For-Profit Service Contract with the Columbus Region Green Fund to administer a US DOE EECBG grant on behalf of the Department of Public Utilities; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 2845-2024, passed by Columbus City Council on November 18, 2024, authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to execute a sub-recipient agreement with the Human Service Chamber Foundation for a commercial energy audit and technical assistance program; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 3393-2024 was passed by Columbus City Council on December 16, 2024, to correct administrative errors in Ordinance 2845-2024; and
WHEREAS, the Human Service Chamber Foundation is no longer able to serve as subrecipient for the EECBG grant and the Department wishes to enter into a Subrecipient Agreement - Not-For-Profit Service Contract with the Columbus Region Green Fund in its place; and
WHEREAS an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities in that it is immediately necessary to further amend Ordinance 2845-2024, passed by Columbus City Council on November 18, 2024, to meet the terms of the US DOE Assistance Agreement within the required performance period, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare and,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That Section 2 of Ordinance 2845-2024, as amended by Ordinance No. 3393-2024, is hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Utilities be and is hereby authorized to enter into a Subrecipient Agreement - Not-for-Profit Service Contract with the Human Service Chamber Foundation Columbus Region Green Fund to administer the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant on behalf of the Department of Public Utilities for a commercial energy audit and technical assistance program, to allow for advance payments based upon the terms of the contract, and to modify the contract to address risk-related issues without returning to City Council for approval.
SECTION 2. That existing Section 2 of Ordinance 2845-2024 and all references in the Background section and recitals of Ordinance 2845-2024 inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. That the title of Ordinance 2845-2024, as amended by Ordinance 3393-2024, is hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a grant agreement with the Department of Energy for the commercial energy audit and technical assistance program and accept a grant in the amount of $778,900.00; to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a Subrecipient Agreement - Not-for-Profit Service Contract with the Human Service Chamber Foundation Columbus Region Green Fund to administer the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant on behalf of the Department of Public Utilities for the commercial energy audit and technical assistance program; to authorize advance payments based upon the terms of the contract; to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to modify the contract with the Human Service Chamber Foundation Columbus Region Green Fund to address risk-related issues (if any) without returning to City Council for approval; to authorize the appropriation of $778,900.00 in the Public Utilities Electricity Grant Fund; and to authorize the expenditure of $778,900.00 from the Public Utilities Electricity Grant Fund. ($778,900.00)
SECTION 4. That the existing title of Ordinance 2845-2024 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 5. That all provisions of Ordinance 2845-2024 not expressly repealed herein shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. That for the reason stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.